1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stirring device and stirring method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some tests, such as sediment, qualitative, and biochemical tests, urine samples and other specimens are stirred before they are aliquoted and dispensed, in order to avoid the influence of precipitation of their ingredients. In general, a specimen is agitated manually or by using a dropper or other rod-like tool. Also, an automatic stirring device has been investigated that is configured to stir a specimen by sucking in and discharging it by means of tips.
In the manual stirring method described above, a human operator's skill affects the stirring accuracy, thus it is difficult to achieve a high degree of stirring accuracy. In the stirring method based on suction and discharge, on the other hand, the positional relationship between the tips, suction rate, and other conditions affect the stirring accuracy, thus it is hard to entirely accurately stir the specimen in a specimen container.